X-Roads Warriors 0 Somerset Trojans 3

Somerset Trojans picked up three valuable points to keep their hopes of avoiding relegation alive with a win over bottom side X-Roads Warriors in a crucial Premier Division clash at St David’s yesterday.

Haile Eve produced a match-winning performance, setting up the opening goal before scoring twice to put Trojans within four points of safety with four games left to play and their coach, Jensen Rogers, promises not to go down without a fight.

“We will treat each match like a final,” Rogers said. “As long as it is mathematically possible for us to stay up, we will fight until the end. We will aim to do our part by winning and hope for a little help along the way.”

In this cellar-dweller encounter, X-Roads were first out of the blocks with their leading goal scorer Donovan Thompson getting off a low drive from overlapping left wing-back Daniel Teleman’s cross which was easily handled by Trojans goalkeeper Yizharyah Williams.

Minutes later Trojans mounted an attack and nearly scored when Keyni Mills’s goalbound shot was deflected for a corner with X-Roads goalkeeper Q’Shai Darrell wrong-footed.

On the half-hour, Eve pressured Darrell on a high cross forcing a fumble but Jallen Greaves blasted the loose ball wide of the empty net.

X-Roads were then given a free kick just outside the box when Tahzeiko Harris handled a Darin Woolridge cross only for Tyman Daniels’s drive to hit the upright before being cleared.

Trojans took a deserved lead just before half-time when Eve flicked a pass to Kumani McNeil, who controlled before finding space to unleash a firm drive into the bottom left corner of Darrell’s net despite his diving effort.

Trojans doubled their lead immediately after the break with Eve finding space to the right of the penalty area to beat Darrell with a firm drive into the bottom corner.

X-Roads pressed and had two good opportunities to score from Thompson and Seth Sommer but both sailed wide from promising positions.

The Trojans would close out the scoring following a good build-up out of defence before Greaves laid off a threaded pass which Eve took in his stride before lacing a shot that beat Darrell for pace.

Although playing with a three-goal deficit, X-Roads continued to battle and tried to play constructive football with positive encouragement from coach Ralph Bean Jr, but the defence cancelled out any threat to give Williams and Trojans a rare clean sheet.

Defeat means X-Roads must win their final four games to have any chance of survival and also rely on other results to go their way if they are to play Premier Division football next season.

SCORERS

Somerset Trojans: K McNeil 39, H Eve 47, 70

TEAMS

X-Roads Warriors (4-1-4-1): Q Darrell 6 — D Teleman 6 (sub: Terrance Lowe, 78min), T Daniels 7, A Cajee 6, A Matthew 6 — S Sommer 7 (sub: T Whited, 72), K Richardson 6 — R Beek 5 (sub: Reiko Lowe, 51 5) D Woolridge 6 (sub: C Whited, 78), A Johnston 6 — D Thompson 7. Substitutes not used: J Smith.

Somerset Trojans (4-2-3-1): Y Williams 7 — T Outerbridge 6 (sub: J Shields, 68 5), T Harris 6 (sub: M Wilson, 74), M Nisbeth-Tankard 6, M Eve 6 — C Durham 5 (sub: P Robinson, 56 5), J Greaves 7 (sub: K Cann, 74) — Jadan Ratteray-Smith 6, Kymani McNeil 7, K Mills 7 — H Eve 8 (sub: Kameron McNeil, 74). Substitutes not used: E Mendes, Jaz Ratteray-Smith. Booked: Kymani McNeil.

Referee: A Francis.